Fenerbahçe 3-2 Liverpool: Kuyt gets the better of former club in Champions League comeback

Vedat Muriqi's maiden Champions League goal saw Fenerbahçe, who twice came from behind, beat Liverpool 3-2.

Fener went into Wednesday's contest at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium without a win to their name in this season's competition.

Yet against his former club, Fener interim coach Dirk Kuyt masterminded a surprise victory, with substitute Muriqi the hosts' hero with a 79th-minute header.

Liverpool set the tone by having four shots in the opening five minutes, which is the first time they have managed such a feat in a Champions League match since March 2009 (v Real Madrid), though they were perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty when Kostas Tsimikas put both hands in the back of Mason Greenwood in the Reds' area.

And Fener's frustration was swiftly compounded when Trey Nyoni volleyed in, becoming the youngest player in Liverpool's history to score his first goal for the Reds in a European Cup/Champions League match (19 years, 127 days).

İrfan Can Kahveci prodded Archie Brown's centre against the crossbar from point-blank range as Fener sought an instant response.

But Kuyt's team had their equaliser in the 29th minute, with Greenwood's free-kick taking a big deflection off Jérémy Jacquet in the Liverpool wall and leaving Alisson flat-footed.

Liverpool came out strong in the second half, but it was not until Andoni Iraola turned to his bench that they made another breakthrough.

Cody Gakpo crossed in for his fellow substitute Alexander Isak to head home in the 69th minute.

Yet four minutes later, Alisson was caught out from a well-worked Fener corner, with Gakpo only able to flick the ball on for Brown, who nudged in at the back post.

And six minutes later, Fener had swung the tide completely. Three Liverpool players failed to deal with a looping cross, and with Alisson stuck on his line, Muriqi sent a brilliant header into the left-hand corner.

Ederson had to deny Virgil van Dijk once more, and Gakpo tried his luck from range, but Liverpool slipped to their first Champions League loss of the season.

Fener end long Champions League wait

They might be giants of Turkish football, but this is Fener's first appearance in the Champions League proper since 2008-09, when they exited in the group stage.

This victory snaps a run of 10 games without a win in the competition, which was their longest winless run in the Champions League.

Indeed, Rio Ngumoha was just an infant when Fener last won a Champions League match. The Liverpool winger became the youngest English player and the youngest player for an English club to start each of his side's first four games of a Champions League campaign.

Ngumoha was impressive, completing 7/10 dribbles and winning 12/18 duels. He has completed 25 dribbles so far this season in the Champions League, the most by a Liverpool player in the group/league phase on record since 2006-07.

Another youngster, Nyoni, also shone, as he became Liverpool's second-youngest Champions League goalscorer, after Trent Alexander-Arnold (19 years, 10 days).

But ultimately, Liverpool's big players did not stand up enough. Isak netted his first European goal for the Reds less than three minutes after coming on, but once Fener got their second equaliser, Iraola's team were firmly on the back foot.

Liverpool went ahead in the 69th minute, making this the latest they have ever gone in front in a major European game and then lost.

And on a night of firsts, it was Muriqi who had the final say, as he netted his first Champions League goal in his ninth appearance in the competition.